Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has included funding in his budget proposal for a $62 million renovation at the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis and a $45 million center for the University of Memphis’s nursing and audiology programs.

An award for elected and non-elected public officials marking its 10th anniversary this year began as a way to honor the late Probate Court Clerk Bobby Dunavant and to counter the damage done 10 years ago by the Tennessee Waltz federal public corruption investigation.

The 2013 Commercial Real Estate Women Network National Winter Leadership Summit and Council Meeting will take place this week at The Peabody hotel, as women in the industry network, learn more about Memphis and help the local chapter build its brand within the Memphis-area market.

The Blues Foundation will host the 29th annual International Blues Challenge Tuesday, Jan. 29, through Saturday, Feb. 2, in Beale Street venues and other Downtown locations. Visit blues.org for a schedule and tickets.

Kriner Cash says there were big “distractions” that began just before he became Memphis City Schools superintendent four-and-a-half years ago that created a “perfect storm” for his efforts to “transform” the school system.

Last week we discussed DeNeuville Learning Center, which is an organization that is working to assist women of all backgrounds and cultures in learning the skills needed to make positive choices for themselves and their families. This week let us highlight the importance of infusing positive energy into our community and being intentional to share hope-filled and uplifting stories, like those of our everyday heroes, who are leading by example to strengthen the Mid-South.

November’s presidential election clarified a need for bipartisan immigration reform; Republican intransigence on this issue melted away as they watched about 71 percent of Latinos vote in favor of the Democratic candidate.

As Tennessee's legislative sessions gets under way, Gov. Bill Haslam and lawmakers are debating how to implement President Barack Obama's health care law, including the final form of a health insurance exchange and whether the state will expand its Medicaid program. Here are some answers to commonly raised questions about the health law in Tennessee:

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) – Cleanup crews with booms skimmed oily water from the Mississippi River a day after a barge with more than 80,000 gallons of oil struck a railroad bridge near Vicksburg, spreading a sheen of light crude that kept part of the waterway shut to ship traffic Monday, authorities said.